


Owls, Pigeons, and Eagles

by TheUltimateUndesirable



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adorable, BAMF Anthony Goldstein, Denial of Feelings, Drabble, F/M, Feelings, Flirting, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Hard to tag rare characters, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Internal Conflict, Love/Hate, POV Daphne Greengrass, Post-Battle of Hogwarts, Pre-Relationship, Rare Pairings, Soulmates, Spells & Enchantments, Stubborn Daphne Greengrass, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 17:28:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29354217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheUltimateUndesirable/pseuds/TheUltimateUndesirable
Summary: Daphne hates birds, and of course for different reasons. Owls are annoying, pigeons are creepy, and eagles know how to get under her skin.
Relationships: Anthony Goldstein/Daphne Greengrass
Comments: 15
Kudos: 6
Collections: Hermione's Nook Lovebirds Fest





	Owls, Pigeons, and Eagles

**Author's Note:**

> Completely spontaneous piece for Valentines day. I'm classifying it as a drabble because honestly there could be so much more and I may elaborate on that some day. Probably. Most likely. Who am I kidding it's basically guaranteed. 
> 
> Hope it is semi enjoyable! I love these two together.

Daphne sat up straight in her chair, no matter how badly she wanted to slouch. The whole idea was rubbish. It was a rubbish holiday, and a completely pointless lesson. Soulmates didn’t exist, and nearly every pureblood lineage was proof of that. Love was arranged. Not found. 

However it didn’t stop Professor McGonagall from outting herself as the hopeless romantic she apparently was. Half the class looked at her with glee in their eyes like Pavarti Patil, and Hannah Abott. Overall though a quarter of the class looked flat out bored, while the rest practically radiated annoyance like herself. There were thirty minutes left still before lunch, and every second ticked by slower. 

“Now,” McGonagall started after clearing her throat, and raising to her full height. “Repeat after me.  _ Cor Meum Revelare _ .” 

“ _ Cor Meum Revelare _ ,” Daphne repeated blandly along with the rest of the Slytherins. None of them were actually foolish enough to want to waste their time on this. Even if it was for credits. 

“Very good. Very good. Now with your wands,” McGonagall instructed encouragingly, her long green sleeves bouncing as she gestured to them. 

Doing as requested Daphne waved her wand with controlled effort and ease. It was a sharp movement that would probably count as difficult, especially for prats like Finnegan and Rogers. It wasn’t a spell or topic often touched in school, but being eighth years the professors had thrown together more unique studies and opportunities for them. An admittedly thoughtful attempt to gain their interest after the emotional turmoils of war. Not that the theory actually worked in most cases. 

Slowly McGonagall worked her way around the room, sitting a small grey bird down on their desk. Daphne eyed the little creature put before her. It was unsettling. There was a reason she didn’t have an owl, and this thing was even worse than them. Beady little eyes that seemed to bounce as it tilted it’s head back and forth looking around curiously. If nothing continued to come of this subject at least she had the joy of blowing the feathered thing up. 

“Alright class. Reveal your heart, but do NOT share your results with anyone. Especially should you receive a name along with it. They are for your eyes, and your eyes alone,” the older witch said sternly with the clip to her voice that usually snapped everyone into attention.

Her tone definitely got some of her classmates sitting a bit more upright while others jumped on the permission to begin. The spell began echoing against the walls of the room around them. Witches squealed or gasped as they achieved the spell, and the boys that already accomplished the task just stared at their papers. A few of them even blushed. 

Watching Longbottom’s face turn red before he quickly pocketed his own letter that had appeared was quite entertaining. Not someone she would have guessed to achieve the task on the first try. There was also the panicked face of Weasley shooting glances around the room like he was worried he was going to get caught trying to sneak a witch into his dorm like a third year. Daphne huffed at the amusement of everyone. Granger biting her lips in worry and Theo raising an eyebrow at his. Goyle looked confused, and Lavender Brown had a hand covering her own mouth. 

“Cor Meum Revelare,” Daphne said clearly after sighing in defeat. Everyone’s mixed emotions floating about drained her of the satisfaction that was destroying the abomination still waiting on her desk. 

Flicking her wand through the practiced motion the bird practically squeaked before trying to take to the air as if it could escape. The disturbing thing burst into a small sparkling bubble of magic seconds later at face level. Glitter began slowly falling from the glistening bubble to her desk like drizzly rain around her desk. Swirling lightly, and drawing together, the bubble began to form the outline of a piece of parchment until it began filling in. The glitter then began to sparkle, and move around at a crazy speed that started forming words she wasn’t able to read just yet. Finally what had previously been a bird, gently laid itself down before her. 

Daphne kept her face schooled even though she wanted to raise her eyebrows at actually a love letter of some sort. Not that she found herself thinking anything other than curiosity. Looking next to her Draco’s eyes were wide with disbelief having successfully received his own letter. None of them had believed it was going to happen, or at least happen and actually contain words. 

Momentarily the witch debating even reading the writing she could see scrawled across the parchment. Everyone was already whispering among themselves or reading their own. 

_ I reveal my heart to you, even though you don’t accept it to be true _

_ A choice may come, a choice may go  _

_ Do what’s right or do what’s told  _

_ Around the corner is the light, you’ve seen yourself he is bright _

_ Blue and bronze, black and brown, he does not wish to see your frown _

_ Be it the fate you say you hate,  _

_ Or climbing the slope that hides your secret hope _

_ He is there, your heart's desire _

_ He will start it, and he will enquire. _

Daphne could feel a small blush forming high on her cheeks. Instead of looking flustered or embarrassed though she probably came across as irritated. Hell she was irritated. How dare the stupid thing actually produce something of meaning.

It meant nothing anyways. She had to remind herself of that as she dug her nails into the palm of her hand. What was she supposed to do with it? Get disowned for what could be nothing in the end? Act like the typical school girl, crushing over someone with a heart full of longing? Have the foolish hope of a dreamed future. 

Even though she crossed the line from teenager to young adult only months ago, Daphne felt she had been treated as an adult far too long to believe in something like romance. Her life didn’t leave room for such things. Including conjured parchment that managed to hold potential truths she wouldn’t admit to. 

Unclenching her fist, it took great restraint not to wad the thing up into a ball, and stuff it in her pocket right away. Later she could take comfort in setting the bloody thing on fire. She needed to be graded on it after all. 

At the very least she knew she would get a good grade. There were no seared edges, all the words were clear, and it was of decent length. McGonagall assuring them she wasn’t going to read it comforted her to a degree as she waited. The older witch would just give it a once over to be sure it was properly formed, letters readable, and length. Then it could turn into ash. 

Calmly Daphne smoothed out the parchment, and slid it to the top of her desk for McGonagall to look over when she got to her. She found she didn’t really care who might look at it or read it. It wasn’t like it provided a name even though she knew who it referenced. The most someone else would get out of it was a male Ravenclaw if they were actually paying attention. 

Going against her better judgement Daphne glanced towards the small group of Ravenclaws. Maybe it was actually more like a bitter glare towards the boy, or well man now. Because of course he was in the same year. Of course he had returned to the school, and of course he was in the same bloody classroom only desks away. The lesson officially turned from a mild annoyance to something akin to personal torture. 

In her sweep across the small lot of returned students, she accidentally caught Anthony Goldsteins brown eyes. The bloke was actually smirking at her for some reason. It wasn’t a smug smirk, but it felt knowingly causing her glare to intensify until she felt like her face was growing much too hot under his daring gaze. 

“Bollocks,” she muttered under her breath looking down to the ground on the other side of her desk away from him. Pansy turned to her with raised eyebrows, and went to open her mouth. “Shut up,” Daphne practically snapped on instinct, and it caused Pansy’s expression to widen even more with a small growing smile. 

Daphne pressed her lips together before looking the other way again only to catch Anthony’s eyes once more. Closing them then she cursed herself instead of actually growling like some kind of wild animal. She was a proper pureblood witch and such behavior was beneath her, in public anyways. All around the whispers and mutters continued, but some had turned to laughs and aww’s from people willingly sharing or talking to themselves about their letters. 

“Oh come on Daph,” Pansy prompted after a second causing her to open her eyes. “It can’t be that bad.” 

“What makes you think I am unhappy?” she countered attempting to sound bored once more. 

In a way she was. The minutes were still ticking by too slowly, especially now that she had conjured the damn thing. Now that she had words repeating over and over again in her head. 

“Umm because you look like you want to set fire to your desk?” Pansy supplied simply, turning to face her more directly. 

“You just want to know what it says because me and Theo are the only ones you haven’t been able to pry names out of this year,” Daphne said with a huff crossing her arms defensively. The witch was always one for gossip and had a way of working information out of people without much effort. It was one of the reasons she enjoyed her classmate’s friendship. Together they could cause quite the trouble if they wanted. 

“First and foremost most offered them up quite willingly,” Pansy clarified, looking taken aback with mock hurt. “Secondly I’m not entirely sure Blaise can separate love and lust so his admittances were null and void. Might as well have ticked off the whole damn school. Then finally Draco only confessed about the she-weasel after too much firewhiskey.” 

“Pans…” Daphne sighed not feeling up for an argument. While she was probably aiming for entertainment, which admittedly Draco’s attraction to the youngest Weasley was indeed entertainment, she just didn’t feel it in her to care. 

Pansy narrowed her eyes in on her being the stubborn witch she was, no doubt debating a route to take on continuing the conversation, hopefully not to attempt pushing her further. While losing her parents in the war had taken its toll on her in the beginning, what she had had to endure as a child helped her heal a little quicker than most at least on the outside. Hanging out with that Padma Patil had probably boosted her optimism as well. Her friend had now been given free reign in her life. A luxury she just didn’t have. 

“It hardly matters,” Daphne said after a minute dismissing the witch’s unvoiced interest in the contents of her letter.

“Fine,” Pansy receded a little adjusting in her seat, but not pushing her further although her voice indicated otherwise. 

Her friend instead glanced to Theo, Blaise, and Millie who all seemed a little caught up with their new found supposed internal revelations. Theo was expressionless, Blaise seemed amused, and Millie was lost in a quiet conversation with Susan Bones. Daphne watched Pansy’s nervousness as she again double checked their surroundings.

“Longbottom,” Pansy whispered closer to her, causing Daphne’s jaw to drop. 

“I would never…” she started in defense at the mere idea of being involved with Longbottom. While he was admirably protective, and what seemed to be a good natured bloke of fair attractiveness, he was also the typical Gryffindor rushing forward blindly. He was most definitely not her taste in a partner at all. 

“Quiet will you?” her friend scolded her in a panicked rush of air that sounded embarrassed. 

“You’re joking,” Daphne chuckled softly in understanding. 

“What?” Pansy said, attempting to look unbothered as she sat up normally again. 

The witch also was clearly trying to keep the suppressed smile off her face despite a small pinkness to her cheeks. Obviously still trying to put her mask back and cover the emotions she had allowed to slip. Daphne had had only a few seconds to decide if it was shame, happiness, or actual genuine embarrassment. 

“It was that scene he pulled last year with the Carrows and those second years wasn’t it?” she chanced a guess. 

There were very few moments they didn’t remember from that horrible year, especially in regards to their housemates. It had been a horrible sight on the stairs leading down to the dungeons. A poor second year had tripped himself and his friend by accidently stepping on his own robes. Ever the school saviour he had become jumped between Alectro and the boys with a shield charm, willing to face the death eaters wrath even though they were Slytherins. 

“You and Draco,” Daphne grinned devilishly. “All about the hero’s are you?”

“Shut up,” Pansy replied only half heartedly, turning her nose up and away. 

She had to hand it to her friend for making her feel better. Either because of the personal confession, or the fact she could have had something horrid come up like Longbottom’s name. If the spell had anything to actually do with soulmates that was horrifying. Hell it could have been even worse like Ernie MacMillion. Daphne shuddered at the idea of being soulmates with the short and sheepish Hufflepuff. 

“Ladies,” McGonagall appeared before their desks with a chastising voice. “Manners.”

As predicted the older witch only briefly skimmed their parchment before writing down what was surely a grade on her own piece then made her way down the remaining row. There weren’t many students over all in their year that had returned to school, but enough so that their rearranged layout formed a full circle around the professor's desk. Almost every class their year attended now the circle layout was always waiting for them, aside from potions and herbology. 

Daphne felt relief run through her chest at being dismissed finally when McGonagall finished. Classmates quickly began filing out for lunch with smiles and loud chatter. Eager and pleased overall apparently. With either class or the prospect of food. 

Standing and throwing her own bag over her shoulder Daphne smoothed out her robes waiting for Pansy. The witch actually took the time to delicately place her parchment between two books as if she dared not damage it. Where as in comparison she had simply stuffed hers into her own bag without a thought. Clearly her friend was pleased with what had been revealed to her, why though she had no honest idea. 

“Lunch?” Pansy asked, finally getting up and picking up her books. “Or dorms? I don’t exactly fancy going over Flitwicks notes though. I’m starved, and it’s not like charms is the most difficult class for either of us.” 

“What? Don’t want to miss a chance at watching Longbottom sucking down his pumpkin juice?” Daphne teased taking up stride beside her. 

“He most definitely doesn’t  _ suck  _ down his juice,” Pansy clarified as if insulted at first. “Although the way he devours a cauldron cake?” The witch bit her lips moaning softly as they exited the classroom. 

Daphne gapped at her before Pansy took to giggling. The witch was if anything even more dramatic than before as their last year at Hogwarts wore on. A side effect of being best friends with Draco in her opinion allowed out of control now. To her it was shameful and unnecessary. At least outside of the privacy that were their rooms or personal group of friends. 

“Greengrass,” a voice sounded just a little ways into the hall causing her to turn her head from Pansy. 

None other than Anthony Goldstein stood in his robes, a foot resting up against the wall holding onto the strap of his bag with one hand. Once she acknowledged him he pushed off of it, and began walking towards her. Because of course the bloke she hadn’t often exchanged words with, and just so happened to admire to a degree would suddenly want to address her after a full class of discussing what was essentially crushes. A heart’s desire to put it more broadly like McGonagall had. 

Daphne huffed at the annoyance that was her life and Pansy looked between them for a sign everything was fine. Even though things between the houses had mended a fair bit over the course of the year there was still the lingering hostility by some, and paranoia by all of Slytherin. It was something that had actually solidified her and Pansy’s friendship from just friend’s to what she might actually one day allow herself to say was best friend’s. 

Reluctantly she subtly nodded for Pansy to continue on without her. The last thing she wanted was her friend’s keen eye to read into anything that this conversation may bring. It was bad enough she was going to be questioned out of basic curiosity. At least without her watching the witch couldn’t pry into any tones of her voice and body language. 

“I have a question,” Anthony stated, approaching her even closer once Pansy continued on her way. 

“Pray tell what that may be,” she replied evenly, refusing to appear unsettled and focusing on his black hair that in a way reminded her of Potter’s Except actually groomed and well kept, not just an uncontrolled nest of chaos. 

“I couldn’t help but notice the otherwise conflicted expression you wore in class today,” he said simply. “I must say I find myself dealing with something also. A little personal dilemma that I feel you may be able to…” Anthony caressed his own clean shaved chin, seeming to be choosing his words carefully. . “...solidify for me,” he finally finished.

“In case it slipped your notice that isn’t a question Goldstein,” Daphne pointed out after a scoff, but it only earned her an amused hum. 

“Indeed. It isn’t,” Anthony said, nodding his head in agreement not off put by her tone. 

Then the Ravenclaw began moving around her slowly, tilting his head back and forth shamelessly analyzing her. The movement caused her hackles to rise at the feeling of being judged and looked at like prey. She tensed in defense, but there was also a bit of adrenaline that started coursing through her as well. 

“If I show you my letter,” Anthony started, his voice low but calm and suddenly far too close to her ear. It was more than close actually. She could feel the heat of his breath against it as he walked out from behind her in what seemed to be the speed of a flobberworm. It took great effort not to physically shudder away from the pleasant sensation it caused. 

Then she felt his hand lightly running down her right arm, no real pressure but enough to be noticeable, until there was only the brush of his fingers against hers. The smooth surface of parchment slipping into her relaxed hand, as if it was made to fit into it. Small, square, and firm. 

“...will you show me yours?” he asked, his lips just ghosting her cheek for a few seconds. 

Daphne let out a shaky exhale through her nose as she pressed her lips together in a tight line willing herself not to move or break. She stubbornly ignored the shiver that ran through her spine as he winked putting steps between them, and this time the bastard’s smirk was actually smug. Careful not to squeeze the parchment in her hand she hesitantly unfolded and read the words, ignoring all the decorative nonsense of feathers and swirls of magic that came automatically with the spell they had just used. 

_ I reveal my heart to you,  _

_ but it need only be simple because what I reveal? _

_ It is true.  _

_ Ambition and cunning  _

_ are a life changing art.  _

_ Wit and determination though?  _

_ It’s the way to Daphne’s heart.  _

Daphne lifted her head just enough to see Anthony was no longer near her, and further to see that he was already at the end of the hall just about to round the corner. The Ravenclaw was walking casually as if he hadn’t just handed her his love letter. She wasn’t entirely sure why he had handed it to her if he was just going to walk away like it was no big deal. 

Now what was she supposed to even do with it? Return it? It was obviously a bloody blatant tease on his end, and in his mind it held some kind of purpose. One of the things admirable about the bloke. He never did something without a reason. Wit and determination. Ravenclaw traits paired with Slytherin ones were deadly. That meant it was probably going to be his own personal riddle he was going to use to torment her with. 

“Stupid fucking birds,” she muttered to herself gently folding Anthony’s paper and slipping it into the inner most folds of her robe. Maybe more research needed to be done on this topic or McGonagall would go over the results and what they meant in class a little more. Or how to proceed with the findings personally. 

**Author's Note:**

> Only I could manage to feel guilty about not squeezing in a first kiss.


End file.
